Forklifts to Flat Tires: How Stop Stick® Ended a 100-MPH ATM Heist

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Forklifts to Flat Tires:

Events recently came to a close in Iowa, where 56-year-old John Fitzgerald Bennett pleaded guilty to federal credit union larceny. While the details of the heist sound like a movie script, the way it ended highlights a classic tactical truth: no matter how determined a suspect is, they can’t outrun a proper tire deflation deployment.

The Heist: A Forklift and a Fast Getaway

The incident began in Waterloo, Iowa, when the suspect stole a pickup truck and drove it to a nearby town. Abandoning the truck , he slipped onto a local construction site and commandeered a forklift.

He drove the heavy machinery to a nearby credit union, unsuccessfully trying to rip an interactive teller machine right out of the ground. He drove the forklift to a second credit union and ripped out a different ATM, drove back to his stolen pickup, loaded the machine into the truck bed, and hit the gas.

The Chase: 46 Miles at 100 MPH

When Cedar Falls police responded to the bank alarms, the suspect took off. He led officers on a grueling, 40-minute pursuit that spanned 46 miles down Interstate 380.

Driving a heavy truck with a massive, stolen ATM, the suspect pushed the vehicle to its absolute limits, hitting speeds of up to 100 mph in a 65-mph zone. Flying down an interstate at those speeds creates an incredibly hazardous environment for pursuing officers and innocent commuters alike. The situation required a swift, safe conclusion before things took a tragic turn.

The Stop: Rims on the Ground

As the pursuit tore down the highway, officers moved into position ahead of the suspect to deploy Stop Stick®.

The deployment was a textbook success. The nylon-sleeve device did exactly what it was engineered to do: Teflon-coated, triangular steel spikes penetrated the truck’s tires, creating a controlled, predictable deflation rather than a dangerous blowout.

Even with a bed full of stolen bank equipment, the truck couldn’t handle the loss of its tires. The vehicle quickly became too damaged to drive, grinding to a halt on its bare rims. Officers safely took the suspect into custody on the highway, with the stolen ATM still sitting in the back of the truck.

Another Safe Resolution

The suspect now faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a heavy fine. Thanks to the quick thinking of the deploying officers and the reliability of Stop Stick®, a dangerous 100-mph chase was taken off the road before anyone got hurt.

Whether a suspect is driving a sports car or a truck loaded down with a stolen ATM, our mission remains the same: helping law enforcement bring pursuits to a safe, controlled end.